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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — It’s another major-free year for Rory McIlroy, who became Europe’s No. 1 golfer for the fourth time on Sunday , and became the second player to win a season title on the PGA Tour with a European tour.
Jon Rahm felt the same way.
Rahm opened with three straight birdies for a 5-under 67 to win the DP World Tour Championship for the third time ahead of England’s Tyrell Hatton and Sweden’s Alex Nor Len 2 strokes.
“Hopefully people stop telling me it’s been a bad year,” Rahm said. “Three wins around the world, three wins on three different continents. Yes, it’s not a major, but it’s still a very, very good season.”
Rahm also won the PGA Tour’s Mexican Open and Spanish Open, as well as the European Tour’s season finale for $3 million.
He shot a 20-under 268 at Jumeirah Golf Estates.
It’s been eight years since McIlroy’s last major — he’s finished in the top eight in all four majors this year — but he won the FedEx Cup and $18 million in prize money , as well as the Canadian Open and the CJ Cup in South Carolina.
Along the way, he returned to No. 1 in the world.
“I think my goal has always been to be a more complete golfer and I feel like I’m moving toward that goal,” McIlroy said. “I’m a total golfer, like I was, and hopefully I can keep going that way.”
McIlroy’s main challenge in the DP World Rankings came from Matt Fitzpatrick, whose bid for the Harry Vardon Trophy exploded around the turn.
The US Open champion needs to win and McIlroy can’t finish runner-up, or finish second and the Northern Irishman can’t finish in the top seven. Neither of those things happened as Fitzpatrick led by three shots, made double bogey on No. 8, then conceded again on No. 10, ending his chances.
McIlroy didn’t need any of the fireworks from the day before, when he put himself into contention with a 65. He could have tied Rahm with an eagle on the par-5 18th, but had to settle for par and a 68.
“That means a lot. It’s been seven years since I last did that. I’ve won three FedEx Cups since I last won,” McIlroy, who won the FedEx Cup in August, told Sky Sports.
“It would have been nice to have a win there at the end of the year, but Jon had an unbelievable game and he deserved it.”
Henrik Stenson in 2013 is the only player to win the FedEx Cup and European standings in the same year.
Rahm, who became the first player to win three times, started the final day with a one-stroke lead and quickly doubled that lead.
Fitzpatrick’s 28-foot birdie on No. 3 put him within two of 15 under, but a short bogey on No. 6 saw things start to fall apart, though he pulled back immediately. Fumbled, but a disastrous No. 8 hole finally dashed his hopes.
His tee shot landed in a deep rut in badlands, his next shot failed to clear the rough and onto the green, and he tossed the chip to two-putt for a six from the fringe. That left him five shots behind, and after missing the green on the bogey-leading 10th fairway, his challenge was over.
McIlroy had three birdies and a bogey over his first four holes, with the only trouble coming at the pin, which stymied his 56-foot birdie effort. He three-putted on the ninth green, but he wasn’t the only one, as Hatton made his only bogey the same way in a round 66.
Nolen closed with a 67 and his tie for second should put him outside the top 40 and likely in the top 50 by the end of the year, earning an invitation to the Masters.
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